Oregon has enjoyed the luxury of good health throughout the spring, but suffered a big loss Monday when Terrell Turner was declared out.
Head coach Chip Kelly said Turner’s spring practice participation would be limited with an unspecified leg injury.
The senior from Los Angeles is the only returning starter on the Duck defensive line. Turner recorded 18 tackles (5.5 for loss) last season, with 2.5 sacks and an interception while starting opposite Kenny Rowe.
Dion Jordan, in his second year converting from tight end, has moved up with the number-one defense, while redshirt freshman Tony Washington is now working with the number-two defense.
Williams absorbs big hit
Senior tight end Brandon Williams was removed from practice Wednesday after a big blind-side hit by middle linebacker Kiko Alonso during a drill. Williams will likely return to practice on Friday, the Ducks’ next competition day.
The hit was one of many standout moments for Alonso on the spring as he competes with Dewitt Stuckey for the starting middle linebacker position. Alonso, a native of Los Gatos, Calif., was suspended for the 2010 season after a DUI arrest and suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in individual workouts following the arrest.
Centers of attention
Kelly and offensive line coach Steve Greatwood will be vetting candidates for the starting center position for much of the spring, but sophomore Karrington Armstrong holds a slim lead over redshirt freshman Hroniss Grasu and redshirt junior Ryan Clanton.
Armstrong, a native of Reno, Nev., has the only game appearance of any of the candidates, playing against Portland State last season. Armstrong, Grasu (brother of former Washington State kicker Nico Grasu) and junior college transfer Clanton are seeking to fill the void left by graduated starter Jordan Holmes and graduated backup Max Forer.
Coaches have not ruled out the possibility of moving another lineman to center, most notably junior Carson York. The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, native is lauded for his ability to play all five positions on the line.
By the numbers
Freshmen Colt Lyerla and Tyson Coleman, two Oregon natives who graduated from high school early to attend spring practice, were assigned jersey numbers 32 and 33, respectively.
Junior college transfer defensive tackle Jared Ebert will sport number 93 for the Ducks, while grayshirt freshman defensive back Issac Dixon has been given number 5.
The number 5, vacated by running back Remene Alston (graduation), was assumed by quarterback Darron Thomas for the offense. Wide receiver Josh Huff took over Thomas’ number 1.
Fellow wide receiver Will Murphy was also given a new number, better fitting his position. Murphy, a junior walk-on from Albany who caught six passes for 22 yards last season, has changed from 90 to 89.
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